To start this story, here is a brief explanation of some “red flags” in my health during the last trimester of my pregnancy. I put “red flags” in parentheses because those were the words from a midwife concerning my risks of a natural birth. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and although I always controlled it well and had wonderful NSTs (measuring the baby’s heartrate) and BPPs (ultrasounds to make sure everything was ok) they still had to be on the cautious side of the risks in my pregnancy.

The midwives in the Vanderbilt practice are required to work under a board of doctors who usually recommend gestational diabetes patients to be induced at 38 weeks. My midwife was able to approve a hold onany induction until 40 weeks since everything was well controlled and looked great. I hoped all through my last trimester that my baby would come early and we would never have to consider an induction. However, my due date of July 6th came and I felt it was the safest to oblige their recommendations and go in for an induction 2 days later.

(July 8th at 7:30pm.)

Induction Attempt #1

We arrived at the hospital that night and I was given an IV of Pitocin. I had to spend several days preparing myself and my fears of an induction because it really was going against everything I wanted for a natural childbirth. After months of preparing for a natural childbirth with Hypnobabies, I felt that I was letting myself down by going through with the induction – but I also knew I needed to be responsible to my baby and listen to the advice of the midwives.

My Bishop’s score was between an 8 and 9 so I felt like I had a lot going for me and we would be able to work everything out for a great birth – even if it meant I had to have Pitocin. I was a good 5cm dilated and 70% effaced when we started the drugs. For 10 hours I was hooked up to the medicine and the nurses were increasing the dosage every 30 minutes.

At 5:00am I was maxed out at 20mL and nothing was working. I was not in active labor although I was having a few pressure waves (contractions.) The advice from the midwife was to basically start from scratch and give me the Pitocin at smaller dosages again to see if something would happen.

Fast forward to 7:30am. There was a shift change in midwives and my new midwife came in to talk about what we needed to do since NOTHING was working!!! I never felt any strong pressure waves (contractions) the WHOLE NIGHT! The midwife began talking about how sometimes this is common. She recommended that we stay and continue to try other methods – breaking my water, continuing the Pitocin – but that realistically that would probably lead to a C-section since I was no more dilated or effaced. She also talked about how she had a patient try an induction 3 times before the Pitocin worked.

When she mentioned that patient I perked up and said “so you let her go home all those times?????” I knew right then I would NOT stay at the hospital and that we would all go home and wait for my little man to come on his own time!!!!

Heading Home To Wait

We were discharged from the hospital as a “failed induction” against
the board of doctor’s recommendations to stay. I just knew I was not
putting my baby at any high risk by waiting a few days to see what
would happen. To please the doctor’s and midwives, I scheduled follow
up appointments to keep monitoring the baby’s well being. This was
Thursday morning, July 9th – my next appointment would be Monday, July
13th to check on the baby. I did kick counts every day to make sure
the baby was still active. (Of course he was!!!)

Now it’s Monday afternoon – I’m 41 weeks pregnant. I went to my
ultrasound to check on the baby. The ultrasound did pick up some
calcification of the placenta and low amniotic fluid. These are
pretty big concerns in the health of the baby. The technician also
said my baby was weighing in at 9lbs 14oz although measurements can be
off a pound or so. The midwife that discharged me from the hospital
last week called several hours later very concerned about the reports
on the ultrasound so I decided that it would be best to go back in
that night for another induction.

We left our house at 8:00pm Monday, July 13th – this time we would
come back home with a baby……..but in my mind I felt that it probably
would be by a C-section. My heart was broken. The only consolation I
had was that my pressure waves were getting stronger over the weekend.
I was taking a homeopathic to help bring the pressure waves on
stronger and I also took a dose of castor oil earlier in the day to
try to help things along on their own. I thought maybe there was a
chance I could still have a natural childbirth – I just felt like I was running out of time! 🙂

Refusing a Cesarean – Trying Induction 1 More Time

The midwife on call that night was pretty doubtful that I would go
into labor on my own – or even that I could have my baby naturally.
She highly recommended we go ahead and schedule the C-section but I refused. She agreed to let us wait a little while before starting
Pitocin and allowed me to try nipple stimulation while hooked up to an
NST since I was having pressure waves at 6-7 minutes apart.

Awesome Hypno-Doula Heather

Fortunately, there was another couple in their birthing time down the hall that needed the midwives more than I did so we didn’t see the midwife for 4 hours!!! The nurse with us was wonderful at keeping track of my pressure waves and allowing me just to focus on my own. I had my mom, husband and doula in the room with me and everything was very quiet and peaceful. I was able to remain mostly “off” (a hypnosis term) during those 4 hours. Since things were progressing, no one ever came in to start Pitocin! I was finally in my birthing time on my own!!!!

The last part of those 4 hours were the most intense. The pressure waves were coming one right after the other. I didn’t realize, but I was actually in the transformation stage (transition) at that time!
The nurse helped me into the shower to let the hot water help relax
and calm me. The only position that allowed me to remain “off” was on
the toilet, in the shower or walking around. At one point, my doula
came into the bathroom when she heard me grunt. I thought I was
pooping from the castor oil, but she could tell it was more than just
a bowel movement! She called the midwife in to check me.

Having to lay on the bed was very difficult – laying down was NOT comfortable!
When she checked me, my husband said she had a very puzzled look on
her face! She didn’t say anything until my doula called out “what is
she??????”

The midwife looked around and said, “well, she’s complete! She’s
dilated to 10, all the way effaced and thin, the baby is at a +3
position and I can feel the bag of waters!”

That’s all I needed to hear – I immediately said “I need to turn
around!!!” I got on all 4s to be comfortable and the pushing urges
started! It took only 40 minutes to push my baby out! All the while
we had the Pushing Your Baby Out CD track playing.

Everyone was ASTOUNDED!!!

My mom said it became like a circus in the room.
Several different nurses and doctors were standing at the back of the
room watching everything happen. They were very respectful and quiet
– I never heard a sound. I think my mom was able to help keep the
atmosphere calm and relaxed to match the music and talking on the CD.

I loved being able to listen to the cues while I was pushing out my
baby. I never felt any pain or discomfort. It was actually a feeling
of relief to push out my baby!!! I was the first to touch his head as
it came out! The student midwife kept warm compresses on my perineum
and the midwife helped coach me if I was pushing too hard. They never
had to tell me to push because my body knew instinctively when it
needed to happen.

To the astonishment of the whole room (and later to find out – pretty much the whole hospital) was that my baby boy was 10lbs, 10oz and 21 and ½ inches long!!!

I credit Hypnobabies to the incredible success of my birthing story!!!

The best part was being able to relax myself during the difficult
transformation stage and allow my body to go limp and loose. When I
did, I could feel him drop down farther into my birthing canal. It
was not a pleasant feeling, but it was empowering!

I just can’t believe I was able to have the birth I’ve dreamed of when there was so
much stacked against me with the gestational diabetes complications
and previous failed induction!

This was the best experience of my whole life!!! I truly believe that
the Lord answered the many prayers that we prayed over the past week.
I also think my little boy’s guardian angel must have been working
extra hours to make sure the doctor’s didn’t mess up his entrance into
this world!!! 🙂

The student midwife that was attending my birth came to me the next
day to check how everything was going. She told me that the she and
the midwife thought the other couple they were attending to would
certainly have their baby a lot sooner than I would – which is why
they never came back into my room until my doula called on them!!! I
think this experience was great for her as she enters her field of
midwifery practice. Now she can recommend the program after seeing
such a successful Hypnobabies experience!

THANK YOU HYPNOBABIES for the education and empowerment to have an easy, comfortable, safe and fast childbirth! I can’t wait to do it again!